Noodles with Tofu, Cucumber, and Chili Crisp

I know I’m basic but I cannot get enough of chili crisp. I slather it on everything these days — eggs, avocado toast, soup, and my favorite addition: noodles. Adapted from Bon Appetit, these ramen noodles have all of my favorite additions: crispy-chewy tofu and shiitakes, nutty tahini, lots of garlic, and a generous drizzle of chili crisp, ofc.

• 1/4 soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark sugar
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons black (Chinkiang) vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chili crisp, plus more for serving
• 4 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, divided
• 1 14-ounce block extra firm tofu, drained
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 4 teaspoons avocado oil, divided
• 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 10 ounces fresh ramen noodles or similar

1. Whisk soy sauce, brown sugar, tahini, sesame oil, black vinegar, 1 tablespoon chili crisp, and 1/2 cup water in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
2. Mix cucumbers, rice vinegar, and salt in a medium bowl to coat. Let sit, mixing once or twice, until softened, about 20 minutes. Drain and set pickled cucumbers aside.
3. Wrap tofu in a clean thin kitchen towel or cheesecloth. Gather ends of towel together and squeeze with your hands over sink to extract as much liquid as possible. (It’s fine if the tofu breaks apart.)
4. Crumble tofu into a medium bowl (it should look like ground meat with some larger pieces). Sprinkle with cornstarch and 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss with your hands to evenly coat tofu.
5. Heat 2 teaspoons avocado oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Arrange tofu crumbles in a single layer in pan; reserve bowl. Cook tofu, undisturbed, until golden brown underneath, about 5 minutes. Toss and continue cooking, tossing occasionally, until tofu is golden brown and crisp all over, about 4 minutes more. Transfer tofu to reserved bowl.
6. Add remaining 2 teaspoons avocado oil to same skillet and reduce heat to medium-high. Add mushrooms and shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are browned and shallot is translucent, about 5 minutes; season with salt. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Return tofu to pan and add reserved sauce; bring to a simmer. Cook until sauce is slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
7. Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain and place in a large serving bowl. Ladle saucy tofu over noodles and top with reserved pickled cucumbers and more chili crisp.